Transit Division

Since 2011, the City of Ellensburg, Central Washington University (CWU), HopeSource, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have partnered to plan, fund, and operate transit service within the community.

A Transit Development Plan (TDP) was completed in 2013, providing a series of recommendations to improve transit service over a nine-year period. Findings from a community survey and peer review were instrumental in developing service alternatives and adopting the current zero-fare policy. The current Central Transit service and funding arrangement has been in place since September 2013 and has evolved considerably.

The first step of the 2015 Transit Development Plan is to evaluate the last two academic years of operation of Central Transit in terms of ridership, efficiency, effectiveness. The effort will also compare expected outcomes of the 2013 TDP with actual operations. Ongoing coordination with the Public Transit Advisory Committee (appointed by the Ellensburg City Council) and community engagement in the form of mobile outreach and online communication are also key components of the 2015 TDP. Primary goals of the 2015 TDP Update include the development of a revised six-year plan for Central Transit (consisting of operating, capital and financial elements).